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The council agreed to pay $480,000 to the Liberty Institute to settle a lawsuit brought in 2011 by four faith-based pregnancy counseling centers: Austin LifeCare, the Gabriel Project Life Center, Austin Pregnancy Resource Center and South Austin Pregnancy Resource Center. The facilities sued after the city passed ordinances requiring them to post signs saying they do not offer medical services, a requirement that a court later struck down.

This settlement will provide refunds to River Place customers who were overcharged when Austin Water's new rates went into effect. Residents of the River Place municipal utility district will also get $800,000 from the city, most of which would help pay down the district’s debt, with the rest going to attorney’s fees.

This resolution outlines a laundry list of items to address growing neighborhood concerns about short-term rentals, which some critics have complained are "party houses" in the middle of residential areas. The resolution calls on city staff to immediately crack down on properties that don't have the proper zoning or city permits and better inform residents on how they can file complaints about problem properties. It also directs staff to develop more stringent rules for the council to consider within six months, including new and increased penalties for violators, a requirement to maintain a guest registry, and deleting the so-called "test the waters" provision that allowed property owners to market their property to gauge interest without registering with the city -- which critics said made it tougher for the Austin Code Department to crack down on violators.

Unlike other urban farms covered by a set of rules passed in 2013, Springdale Farm in East Austin has commercial zoning that required jumping through different hoops to hold outdoor events. The council agreed to allow the farm to hold up to 27 large outdoor events a year, as well as unlimited smaller gatherings.